Today I posted about My fifth annual cooking workshop at Drew Gardens: pictures and video. I also made these two videos to show off Drew Gardens. I don’t think I posted a walk-through before. Anyone wondering how much they can change a neighborhood will love these videos. For context, here is what Drew Gardens looked like before, barren and strewn with garbage. After looking at it, watch the videos. The[…] Keep reading →

I love Drew Gardens’ space and community. Every year I lead a workshop on cooking, though less now about low-cost, low-waste cooking. Now I focus on helping them create a food coop there. The city has some programs I consider “push,” where they try to supply fresh, local produce to the community. Having grown up with parents who, because they struggled to make ends meet, started a family food buying[…] Keep reading →

I just found a video of one of the workshops I led at Drew Gardens. I can’t believe I thought I lost it. If you’ve wondered how I make my famous no-packaging vegan solar-powered stews, watch the workshop: Some Reviews Read more reviews here, but some examples: When Josh first invited me over for stew, I didn’t jump at the opportunity. I recall thinking that a quickly prepared meal of[…] Keep reading →

I’ve shared about my annual cooking workshops in Drew Gardens. Last time people recorded videos. Recording was impromptu, so I didn’t bring a good microphone, so sorry the sound isn’t great, but you can see something of the experience. Some students from Fordham University were making documentaries of Drew Gardens as a class project and I ended up in them: EDIT: Here’s a news clip of Drew Gardens reopening to[…] Keep reading →

Andy is Executive Chef at Lenox Hill Hospital, in the Northwell Health network. He has over 28 years of experience, including foundational years working with renowned chefs Raymond Blanc and Daniel Boulud in both his native England and his adopted home of New York. His signature style of cooking developed while he was the executive chef of the health-focused, Michelin-starred restaurant Rouge Tomate; combining a nutritional and seasonal approach to[…] Keep reading →

Come to my third annual cooking workshop at the wonderful Drew Gardens in the Bronx THIS SATURDAY. Click for all the logistics: Sustainable Living with Joshua Spodek Drew Gardens is one of New York City’s great gems. I love it there. You will too, along with my famous no-packaging vegan solar-powered stew. GREAT NEWS: Past workshops have led to Drew Gardens having their own solar panels, battery, and pressure cooker.[…] Keep reading →

Hello to all who participated in the Sustainability Leadership Workshop! I’m writing to share how far we’ve come on the eve of 2025 and the opportunity for our next big initiative: to create the online home for the alumni community, for online courses, and to draw the rest of the world into joyfully living sustainably. So far we’ve cobbled together email, text, Zoom, WhatsApp, and more. Despite the hodgepodge, many[…] Keep reading →

Last week I announced Emily Wang’s Own Workshop on Sustainable Building 9/14. Today I attended it and learned more than I expected to, which happens when you get your hands dirty from digging into clay. Here’s Emily in the structure we helped build, a chicken coop at none other than Drew Gardens, where I hold my twice-annual cooking workshops in the Bronx. If you read Emily’s blog, which I recommend,[…] Keep reading →

UPDATE: Emily posted about the workshop. Check out A Smashing Week Building with Cob in NYC. Lots of pictures, descriptions of cob building, and matching my appreciation for Drew Gardens. I attended, though don’t appear in the pictures since I rode my bike there and knew I would ride back, about 90 minutes each way. The post referred to me, but not by name. See if you catch the reference.[…] Keep reading →